The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-19


The Board Of Health has no supervision
Of the collection except what it may yolun-
tarily exercise.
Ashes, house dirt, refuse and offal from
retail and wholesale stores, etc., are not col
lected by the city.
Night-soil is collected by two persons
licensed for the purpose by the Board OF
Health, who are authorized to fix the price
at which the work shall be done.
The collection is made at night in spring
less covered wagons and the material is
hauled out of town. Permits are issued by
| the City Marshal to the collectors and the
| Board Of Health has little knowledge Of the
amount of work done, nor OF the time when
| permits are issued
The ordinance on health is almost obsolete
| in all its provisions, owing to changes In the
statutes since it was first passed.
The conclusion at which your committee
| have arrived are that our existing rules and
| practice should be ct once and thoroughly
| remodeed
We believe that II is the duty Of city, as
| of an individual, to keep itself clean, and
that to let this duty out at contract, without
| immediate and constant supervision, Is TO
| have the duty lily performed. The city
should, with its own men and material, II
self perform all the work necessary for It's
thorough cleansing, and anything short OF
this is only to be thought OF as compromise
on account Of its possible expense.
The necessity which existed Of dismissing
inefficient service the present year In the
season when best service should have been
done, shows one danger to which the city is
always liable, for although the bondsmen Of
the contractor may be good, that in itself
will not make good service, even when the
| health of the city makes such service imper-
| alive We recommend, therefore, the organ
ization Of Health Department, OF the city,
| which shall have charge Of the collection
and disposal Of all otfal, whether house,
| fish, store or otherwise; all ashes and house
| dirt including those from churches, school,
| houses, and the collection OF nlght-s0ll, and
the cleansing and flushing OF culyerts and
catch basins. For this work suitable teams
would be needed, and would cost, II new,
wagon, horse and harness) about $3.50 each.
The city should be divided into districts,
and thorough and systematic collection be
made In each district, at least twice week,
and oftener If the season or circumstances
require. We believe that the Offal could
readily be sold and thus part Of the ex-
pense be recovered. Ii collection, is made
from hotels and boarding houses by private
parties, it should be done In wagons In
spected and approved by the Health Depart
ment.
For the collection Of ashes, ETC., four to six
teams would be needed, the cost Of which
would not greatly exceed that OF those used
to collect offal
By dividing the city into six districts, re-
quiring householders In specified district,
who wish their ashes removed, to place
them wi tn other rubbish on the sidewalk on
a certain day, and for proper notice to be
given when collections are desired from
churches, sch0olhOuses and halls, the work
could be easily and thoroughly done. Mar
row alleys and passage ways, nov neglected
and q source of discomfort and disease,
might also be cleaned in connection with
this service. The 1900, more or less, OF cnl-
verts and catch basins could, under proper
superintendence, be Systematically cleaned
and when necessary flushed, and thus avoid
cause of frequent complaint from offensive
odors.
The method of collecting night-soil. or
cleansing of privy vaults, now in vogue In
this city should be radically changed. In
stead Of the closed wagons now used, odor-
less excavators should be employed in con-
nectlon with air-tight casks for holding and
taking away the more solid portions which
have to be pitted. The collection should
always be made in the daytime, when the
air is lighter and 0dors are more readily dis
sipated, when the people are awake and may
defend themselves from bad 0d0rs by clos
ing their windows or temporarily leaving
their houses, and for the reason that by day
light, a work which at best Is disagreeable,
can be done in half the time thatit can be done
at night and done far more neatly. With a
proper use Of deodorizers there need be no
unpleasant effects experienced, and no city
which we visited would be willing to go back
to the old method of night work.
II the city should decide TO undertake the
administration of the whole or a part OF the
proposed department, immediate measures
should be taken TO effect its organization. as
considerable time will be required to perfect
the details before beginning the work but
even IL it should be decided to continue the
present system Tor want OF systeinl the ex-
isting ordinances should be changed in many
respects, in order that whatever Is done
should be done under proper supervision
| and thoroughly so far as the present imper-
| feet means win admit.
Estimated cost Of plant and maintenance
00al.
| Five horses at $3.50 each...............S 10000
Ten men, 313 days at .65 per day.. 5,164. sc
/ Five harnesses 500 each; sh0eing &c,
| $40; keeping $3.50. l,23o.Oe
ss,544.5C
Same outfit except wagons at $780,. SO, ,944.5o
Ni0ht-Soa.
Qdorless excayator. 81, 10000
Eight Rmd wEJh az light barreis... $500 SS.00
Three horses, S250........ 10000
Four men (as aboye) ......-... 1,549.35
Horse keeping, harness, shoeing Sc, go a.
SI3S- S4,zlz.oo
s21 4OI. .35
OF which take for estimate cost fplant $4,000
si4,42e.s5
"
stable also to be added.
Estimated receipts from department.
O0at.
This Is sold In other cities at from 20
cents per barrels to $3.50 per cord.
Our collection averages $4,000 barrels - 90
per year. We estimate receipts .. 81 10000
From ashes, &c....-.--..... ............. l0oOOO
Night-soh. tOVo-OV
Estimate total receipts. S12, 10000
Which leaves net cost Jf running de-
partment ............-........--.... z,4zo.os
| Lest it should be thought that the city
| would be expending larger sum than I
| necessary for such work, we submit the f0l,
| lowing estimates based on tie best data al
present obtainable, Of the present cost t
| city and citizens for doing the same work;
| Present cost Of seavenging the city for re-
mOval of offall by 1,20C
| Cost TO citizens of removing ashes, &c.
from 5000 dwelling houses say 50 each. 10000
| And for offices, stores, churches, schools.
Leaving % iooo families which throw their
ashes into yards, alleys, streets, Sc.
For collections Of nightsoil, estimated 7,O'O
s2s, 200
But the present contractors for offal say
| that much larger amount will have to be
| paid for the service another year, which will
add to the above aggregate cost. We believe
| that the city can far more economically
| thoroughly and satisfactorily perform this
/ work, and as measure for improving the
sanitary condition of the city, as well as inn
| proving its appearance to the citizen and
| visitor we recommend that the health de
| partment be organized for work so as tC
avail itself Of the appropriations made next
| spring.
| If it should be thought not desirable to or
| ganize all branches of the department at one
| time, one year could be established until
the whole was in good working order, and
| as we have stated, the present contractors
for offal will not renew their contract at the
| present rate, we suggest that a beginning be
| made in that branch as being the most in,
| timately connected with the comfort and
| health OF citizens. With this report and as
| part Of the same we submit draft Of an
ordinance establishing health department
| ORDINANCE.
Sec 1. The collection OF house, store and fis
offal ashes, house-dirt and nght-soi, and the dis
| posal Of the same, shall be under the charge OF
department to be called the Health Department
under such rules and regulations as the Board Q
Health may establish.
Sec 2 There shall be appointed by the Boar
of Health person to be styled the Superintend
ent OF Health, who shall administer the aHalrs
the depai tment and have charge OF the propert
used by the department, under direction OF SAT-
Board, which Is hereby authorized Co hx his CON
pensatOn. ,. 9